Part 9: Tribal Confusions
The Hilaku made their way swiftly to the Tarahaki Hills. They would eliminate the Kontor by launching an ambush.
Meanwhile, the Kontor people, led by Konowich, made their way to the Hills as well. The two armies still had at least twenty hours to go. The Hilaku would get there sooner, if everything went as planned, to launch an attack.
Dohuku and Fin Del were travelling extremely quickly. It did not even tire Dohuku out. Fin Del was too confused and surprised, and even scared, to say a word. He just held on tight.
"Here
we are." Dohuku said, startling Fin Del. "I can feel
it!"
"Wha... what do you mean "you can feel it?""
he asked.
"They were here. I don't know how I know it, but they have been here."
They were currently at the point where the plain meets the Sluvoo. "They went Northwest. That's where we're going. Hop on." Dohuku was guessing that they were at the Kingdom of Montlefor.
Fin Del was afraid. He was not afraid of his friend...now. He was afraid of how he would react after the power had gotten to him. Nevertheless, he got on...
The Hilaku, led by Diyuhama, had left the Somahaku hidden in a cavern near the edge of the plain. To the north of this point were the lands unknown... no one has been there to their knowledge... not even the Valchior, although they live right to the east of it.
To the west were the people of the sky, on a floating island, hovering close to the ground.
To the east was the Sluvoo, leading to the Tarahaki Hills and the Shlou Lake.
The Hilaku would now set out for other Hilaku Tribal Camps, to convince them of the current state of Estevar, and that they needed to confront Sharkon. This would take at least 5 hours to find the first one, as no one came close to this part of the Plain. They would set out immediately.
"Elder Montissiya, we will be leaving. I will leave five armed guards, and I will return once I have answers. Please, stay inside the cavern... at all costs!
Dohuku and Fin Del were now heading for the Juhuto Forest, to find their friends in The Kingdom of Montlefor. As they reached the Juhuto Forest, they were attacked by archers. "An ambush? Why?" Dohuku wondered aloud.
All of a sudden, Dohuku was hit in the leg by an arrow. He immediately fell towards the ground... or so the archers thought. He slowly and calmly set Fin Del down, then rose back up into the air. He unsheathed his sword from behind his back. He lifted it, the blade pointing behind his left shoulder, and started to spin. He was spinning very quickly; he then seemingly cut through the air with his blade, and a large, circular wave of energy was emitted. The archers fell to the ground, but Dohuku knew that they weren't dead, they only felt a shock and they had a short-term paralysis. He sheathed his sword, and quickly went down to where one of the archers had fallen. He grabbed his dagger, and placed it at the creature's neck.
"Where are the Somahaku?"
"Th-they came here, but they escaped..."
"Escaped?
Why'd they leave? You are our friends and our allies. Don't you
recognise me, a Somahaku? Why did you attack me?"
"Hah!"
he yelled, pleased to find out this bit of information. "A New
World order has come into place... You're not part of it! We worked
with the Valchior, to have power in their world! But, of
course, they've betrayed us! We will eliminate them, and the
Hilaku! Once the Valchior have finished with the Glekor, of course...
You may escape, but you will be hunted!"
"You... tried to kill my race!" He was furious! He lifted his dagger into the air, about to force it back down, when, all of a sudden, his dagger was knocked from his hand. A large stone hit the blade, and sent it flying.
"That's enough, Dohuku..." It was Fin Del. "They're not worth it. Let's go. The Valchior have been eliminated by the Glekor." They could tell that confusion had filled the Kontor elf after hearing this. "The Kontor will also soon be gone, and the Hilaku will be next. We have to find the Somahaku, and prevent it all from falling into place."
"...I'm sorry, Fin Del... You're right. I don't know what's gotten into me. We have to think about this, though... The rest of the Somahaku escaped the Kontor. That must mean someone has helped them. My bet's on the Hilaku. We have to find them." Fin Del got onto Dohuku's back, and off they went.
Diyuhama made his way swiftly through the plain. He had been travelling for only one hour, not five, when, to his utmost surprise, he saw close to 1500 Hilaku soldiers marching towards the Tarahaki Hills. "Stop," he told his men. "We will stay close behind them until they camp out. I will then talk privately to Sharkon, or whoever may be leading this attack..."
Dohuku and Fin Del were hot on the trail of the Somahaku. They knew they were close.
"We're going to descend now. We have to search by land. I'll lead, in case of danger."
"Ok.
So, what's the plan once we find them?"
"We need
answers. We will ask them about what is going with the Hilaku,
Kontor, and Glekor. We will tell them about the Valchior. We will go
from there." They walked in silence from there on. Dohuku yelled
about five minutes later: "There, they're in the cavern!"
They ran to the cavern, and stormed in. The guards drew their
weapons, and threw them to the ground. "It's a Valchior! Kill
it, quickly! What is the other, metal-looking guy?"
"He
must be a Valchior as well... better kill 'em both!"
Montissiya
got up and ran over... and gasped. "Wait!" She cried
frantically. "I remember something I once read, and it talked of
this armor! Wait a minute... You, are you... oh my gosh, it's
Siytor!"
"Montissiya? Is it really you!? Oh man! Montissiya, am I glad to see you!"
The guards let Dohuku go, and he ran over to Montissiya. Fin Del tried to get up as well, but was immediately thrown back down by the guard.
"Let him go," Dohuku said, "he's with me."
"What do you mean?" the guard asked, dumbfounded. "He's a Valchior! I'm not even sure who you are right now..."
"Trust me," Dohuku said, giving him a strange glare. "let him go."
He immediately let Fin Del go, although he could not stop looking at Dohuku quizzically...
"Montissiya, my name is Siytor no more... please call me Dohuku."
"Siy-" She began, but cut herself off. "Dohuku, where did you get that? The Shlou Lake?" She made no comment on the name, as she fully understood his feelings...
"There's no time. I was attacked at the Juhuto Forest, and learned that you, too, were attacked. The Kontor are going after the Hilaku... I see the Hilaku are on our side-" She cut him off.
"These few, along with 37 others are helping us... against the will of the High Guard. Everyone is against us," she stated, a deep sadness could be heard in her voice, and seen in her eyes...
"Geez... ok, moving on, the Valchior went after the Glekor, to wipe them out, but that also failed... they've been eliminated. We have lost one enemy, just to gain one much more powerful. The Kontor seem to think that they will soon rule Estevar. I have no idea what the Hilaku are doing in this twisted plot, but we've got to stop it all!!!" He looked at the dismayed faces of his friends and allies all throughout the cavern.
"...so, it's a set-up by the Valchior..." Montissiya began, "or at least it was. They thought they would take over the planet for themselves, but something went wrong... but, there are certainly more Valchior; we aren't even sure if Kiyu-Su-Lu has lost..."
The 57 Valchior, led by Kiyu-Su-Lu, had set off towards the unknown parts once the battle had ended.
"Where are we going, MyLord, and what will we accomplish there?" one man began. "Our tribe is finished, there is no one left to guard the Hills."
"We are now heading for the Parts Unknown," Kiyu-Su-Lu said matter-of-factly, "and we will protect our Village.
It had been 7 hours since Diyuhama and his group had set out. The troops had set up their tents. Diyuhama raced to the front, where he would talk to the Head.
He barged into the lead tent, and saw a man. "Sir, whoever you are-"
"Diyuhama, is it you?" he blurted out.
"Mendor?" Diyuhama asked, confusion all over his face. It was his long-time friend... going against everything that was right on Estevar? "What are you doing, leading this thing?"
"We were sent to eliminate the Kontor, the ones who are scheming with the Somahaku, to take us over. Once we get the Kontor, we get the Somahaku... that's why you're with the army, isn't it? To bring peace?"
"You are making a terrible mistake. The Somahaku are gone... I have the only 23 survivors, hiding away in a cavern, and the Kontor are seemingly scheming with the Valchior. You must turn back, now!!!"
"So... you're asking me, telling me to betray Sharkon?" he asked, although he seemed very interested in the idea.
Diyuhama replied simply and matter-of-factly: "I did."
